Between the Lines
by Overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: When Ladybug is feeling Chat Noir's absence all too keenly, she gets a little too absorbed in a comic book.
1. Today's Another Day to Find You

She stared up at the moon and the cloud streaked skies, one hand hovering over her stomach to quiet the non-Akumatized mess of butterflies that had taken up residence.

Sleepless nights were not an unfamiliar thing for Marinette. The occasional early morning wake-up call to wage war against the constant rash of Akuma plaguing Paris had become far too common for her own night owl tendencies.

But Chat Noir not showing on Patrol?

That was definitely new.

He'd shown up sick before, bad enough that she'd had to send him home. Or he'd gotten stuck at some civilian life obligation, but he'd always made a point to sneak away and check in with her.

But for him to just not call?

Impawsible.

Marinette frowned, resting her hand above her head. At the moment, she couldn't even bring herself to mentally kick herself for hanging around Chat nearly so much.

Try as she might, no amount of soothing on Tikki's part had calmed her down.

Marinette's mind was just too busy, mulling over dire scenario followed by an even more dire scenario. Was Chat in a hospital somewhere? Had he lost his miraculous?

Her fingernails bit into her comforter.

What if Hawkmoth had found him somehow?

Her eyes slammed shut, exhaling a few short breaths to try to regain control.

She had already haunted the Ladyblog and checked every news site. She had been up pacing for hours, before she had woken Tikki up from her slumber.

The green light of her alarm clock was even more blurry than usual, but it showed that her parents would be up soon.

Maybe it would be best for her to go down in the bakery for a bit, to keep her mind occupied before she needed to head to school.

* * *

Covered in flour, Marinette raced back up the stairs, ducking into the bathroom. Tikki had swooped down, phasing through the access door that lead to her room.

"There you are." Tikki murmured, cuddling up to her cheek. "You weren't in bed and I was worried."

Marinette tilted her head, shrugging awkwardly. "I wasn't really sleeping anyways."

"Oh, Marinette," her Kwami cooed. "It will be alright. I promise."

Her eyes widened. "Does that mean he's left a message?"

Pursing her tiny lips, Tikki shook her head. "Unfortunately, no."

Marinette swallowed heavily, setting her jaw as she turned back towards the shower.

Tikki smiled reassuringly. "But you know Chat Noir. He can never stay away for too long."

* * *

Marinette shuffled towards the school, a full half hour earlier than usual. It was almost worth getting up so early, just to see the pure look of shock on Alya's face.

She bit her lip. Almost.

"Girl!" Alya gaped. "You're here way early."

Marinette sighed. "I had a little trouble sleeping last night."

"Honestly, I could tell. The bags under your eyes aren't really hiding it." Alya patted her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm feeling a little better already." Lips curving upwards slightly, Marinette looked down at the clock on her phone. "You're here early, too, you know."

"I know." Alya grinned, dropping a comic book onto their desk. "Everybody was talking about this coming out last night, but it was like my copy didn't come in. Of course, it just got shuffled in with Dad's paperwork, so he handed it off to me this morning. And since Mom was getting Etta and Ella ready, I snuck out to read in peace."

Marinette peered down at the table, blinking. "A Ladybug and Chat Noir comic?"

Alya smirked as she slid down into her seat. "We'll, it's nothing official for sure. It's more like a fan-made comic, but the art looks really impressive. I got lucky enough that they sent me a free one to review on the Ladyblog."

The other students slowly trickled in as Alya showed her a few of the articles she had posted last night.

Marinette smiled, nodding politely at her best friend. She didn't have the heart to tell her she'd already pored over their contents.

Of course, she really couldn't explain why she'd had to.

Her focus was more drawn to the comic on the desk. And the Cheshire cat smile lingering on the sketched Chat Noir's face as he swung his baton at an unseen villain.

When Nino walked in, tugging his headphones from his ears, Alya shifted her focus to her boyfriend. "I think Adrien must be sick."

"Yeah?"

Nino nodded. "He usually checks in once he's gotten his schedule for the day. So we can make plans to get him away from the bodyguard as much as possible."

Alya wheeled around, checking out the open desks. "Maybe something is going around. Looks like Nathaniel might be out, too. And Chloe."

Nino sighed heavily, dropping into his seat. "He must be pretty bad off if he's not answering his phone."

Maybe Chat Noir was just sick, Marinette mused, as her fingers drifted over the cover. She opened up to the first page, only half paying attention to the conversation. Whoever the artist was that did this comic, they were good. Chat Noir's movements were so fluid, so dynamic, that they were often difficult to capture on the page. But this artist had done the cat justice.

"Well, if he's sick at home, the guy's bound to go stir crazy once he's feeling well enough."

"You're right," Alya nodded. "We really should plan something."

Even when Chat Noir was sitting still, he was fidgeting, always slightly in motion.

She turned another page, finding one of the recent Akuma shown there. Ladybug had yet to come into the action, so she was a little more reserved on her criticism, but she was glad to see that Chat was holding his own so far. So many people didn't give him enough credit.

"Maybe something at the arcade?"

Nino shrugged. "I dunno. Adrien's room has almost the same amount of stuff you could find in the arcade. His Dad would probably find some way to say it wasn't necessary."

Flipping another page, Marinette's eyes drifted back to the panels, finding Chat Noir slightly out of breath, his piercing green eyes - the sole spot of color on the page - scanning the skies in the final frame.

She flipped the page again, finding a wide soft smile that had always affected her a bit more without her mask. Especially when its full weight was directed straight at her.

Like it was now. It was uncanny - almost as if he was staring directly out at her.

Her purse swung at her side as she leaned forward, tilting her head as she examined the page.

She could almost swear that his smile had gotten a little bit wider.

 _Ladybug..._

Marinette did a double take. She could have sworn that text bubble hadn't been there before.

Shaking her head, Marinette sighed. She must be far more tired than she thought.

Rubbing her eyes, her focus was drawn to Chat's claw reaching out to her from the next page.

Absently, her fingers drifted over the inked images, reaching her hand out to the vision that was far too familiar to her tired eyes.

Her eyes widened, breath hitching slightly, when her fingertips didn't meet the glossy surface of the page.

Instead, Chat Noir's clawed glove reached back to her through the page, open and extended so she could place her fingers in his.

* * *

Author's Note:

Thanks as always to Enberlight for beta reading. This idea has been stuck in my head - on repeat - for some reason. ;)


	2. Needless to Say I'm Odds and Ends

There never really was a choice for Marinette.

She couldn't very well run out. Not with only minutes to spare before class would begin.

Nor would it be safe for her to transform here and dive right in, even amidst the dull roar of conversation in the classroom

But that didn't matter. She could always do what she could as herself and then find some safe place to slip away.

It was why she peered around carefully, before she slipped her fingers between his, a soft smile curving her lips.

Chat Noir's clawed hand was a familiar weight in hers. It had happened dozens of times a week, without a second thought. But even now, she hadn't the slightest cause to doubt him.

He never pulled her arm, instead guiding her safely from the harsh fluorescent light of the classroom, through the sudden, midnight black storm that slowly slipped into alternating patches of white and sparse shading on the page.

The jarring change in the light left her unsettled, her stomach woozy and roiling as she slipped through the panel.

Slamming her eyes shut, she shook her head, waiting for a bit of her equilibrium and vision to return.

Chat Noir simply chuckled, his hand resting atop her shoulder. "It will take a few minutes for your eyes to adjust, but I can assure you that you are a sight for sore eyes, my Lady."

* * *

Alya peered around the room, glancing under the table as the classroom started to quiet down. "Where on Earth did that girl go?"

Blinking she glanced up at Nino, who gazed back at her with a shrug. "I dunno. I didn't see her leave."

Her puzzled gaze darted over to Marinette's now empty chair.

Madame Mendeleiev scowled, crumpling up the comic book in her hands.

Alya blanched, her hand extending out to claim it as her own just before their teacher dropped it unceremoniously into the garbage.

"We're starting today with a pop quiz. That means I need all your personal items off of your desk now. "

"You just…?" A fit of pique had Alya clenching her jaw, indignation flashing in her eyes. "That comic book was mine."

Brows raised, Madame Mendeleiev didn't appear impressed. "Then you can reclaim it, Miss Césaire. After you finish the test. With a passing grade."

* * *

Marinette's eyes snapped back open, flinching against the bright white. "Ouch."

Chat Noir's claws grazed at her shoulders, steadying her as he spoke rapidly. "Hey, don't rush now. I left the last Akuma in the dust when I found you. It's much better that you get used to it before we get moving."

She rubbed at her eyes. "Last Akuma? Like there have been more than one?"

Chat Noir sighed. "Honestly? I'm not all sure which might have been real."

"What do you mean, Chat?"

"There are actually a number of people in here - and more than a few Akuma we defeated together. I know I had a literal run in with the Magician of Misfortune."

Even with her eyes closed, Marinette could very clearly see his lopsided smile in her mind's eye.

"Only he was quite a bit kinder than I remembered. He didn't even threaten to make me disappear this time around. But it wasn't like he was attacking me."

Her eyes were focused on Chat as she let them slowly slide open. His claws reached behind his head, as he stretched. "Pretty sure I saw Volpina, too. But I didn't stick around to find out if she still had her powers. At least, not until I found some way to get to you."

"Hmm…" Marinette frowned, peering around the seemingly endless space of white. Boxes and slashes of black ink in a whole host of shapes went on as far as her poor eyes could see. Her fingers grazed a bit of the frame, peering at her hand behind it. She would have been impressed to see her own fingers turned sketch-like, waving back to her, if this whole situation hadn't been so disconcerting.

"It was just luck that I even saw you through one of the frames and pulled you through." Frowning, Chat's yellow green eyes peered over at her, a clawed hand pressed against the frame. "You are real, aren't you, my Lady?"

Marinette sighed, pressing one of her own hands against the translucent pane, almost as if it rested against glass. "I am. But Chat-" She blinked, gaze darting up to meet his eyes as a question disrupted her train of thought. "Wait, then how did you get in here?"

He shrugged, pacing back and forth before her. "I was reading a comic book about one of our adventures, one that was just released yesterday."

"Do you usually read those?" Marinette's lips curved upwards. Alya had said her comic had been really hard to come by.

"I can't help being curious what people think of me." He pouted back at her through the pane, more than a little defensive. "Weren't you reading it, too, Bugaboo?"

Marinette's hands crossed over her chest. "Sure. I was looking at a comic - one that my friend brought over. But I was only a few pages into a battle scene, before you pulled me through." She shook her head. "Except that you weren't fighting an Akuma when I came through. What kind of Akuma should we expect to be up against, anyways?"

Chat grinned. "The one I saw in the comic wasn't one that we had fought before. His powers were kind of similar to Rena's: illusions that the person wanted to see. I can't exactly remember some of the details - but I've mostly been running away from others, searching for an escape and evading others."

"I got to the last page of the story and touched the cliffhanger panel. When I blinked, I found myself pulled into here. It was probably just luck that my Kwami was reading with me and making snarky comments about the quality of my costume design in the comic, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to transform."

"You transformed inside here?" Marinette gnawed at her lip. Somehow, this had to be the work of an Akuma. There wasn't anything else that made sense. But that meant someone could have been watching.

Her eyes peered around the open expanse. Someone still could be watching.

"Not to worry, Ladybug." Chat Noir tilted his head. "I took precautions. I had to sneak away from anyone else first before I even thought about it. I even avoided these frames." He patted the outside, as he looked over at her, eyes starkly standing out against his the black and white line and shadow of his face. "But I doubted my civilian self could do much to help anyone else stuck in here."

"Chat Noir." She winced, holding her own very real - and very un-gloved - hand up to her eyes. "What exactly do I look like to you?"

She could hear the puzzled rumble in his voice. "You're my partner, my Lady."

Marinette's face fell. That's exactly what she was afraid of.

"Wait. Then what do you see?" Chat blanched.

Her nose wrinkled up. "You're fine, Chat Noir."

He grimaced, coming to stand beside her, one clawed glove hovering uncertain beside her shoulder. "Are you alright, Ladybug?"

Marinette winced, pressing her lips into a thin line as she mulled over the words that she really shouldn't say aloud. Not when she was so unsure of what they were up against.

She almost didn't hear the whistle of the arrow as it came rushing towards them.

* * *

Chat Noir's feline ears perked, twitching just in time to detect and dodge an arrow that reminded him all too much of Dark Cupid. It cracked the glass of the frame as he bounced back a few feet from Ladybug.

"Ladybug!" He gasped, eyes widening as Ladybug barely jumped as the arrow rushed past.

Somehow, Ladybug hadn't noticed. He wasn't sure just how distracted she was, but it just wasn't like her not to notice. Not like her to not move with rapid reflexes that rivaled his own.

Chat Noir's eyes narrowed, decision made in a split second. He couldn't wait for her to catch on, there just wasn't time.

He just picked her up and moved, tearing off down a corridor with all possible speed. It would be easier to move in the open, but it would be much more exposed, too.

There would be plenty of time to apologize later if he'd mis-stepped. Once they were both safe.

His gaze slipped over the lines, searching for a set of frames that might act as cover so she could get her bearings.

But she held onto him for dear life, her arms hooked over his shoulders. Even over the pulsing drum beat of his heart that consumed his ears, he could hear her swallowing softly before she whispered into his ear. "I'm not sure I can really help, Chat Noir."

Blinking, he looked down at her. "Huh?"

She was a little breathless, tapping his shoulder with a finger to indicate the volleys she could spot as she peered back at the discount Dark Cupid. "I'm not entirely myself."

Chat Noir blinked, muscles tensing as he deployed his baton to vault them both as much out of range as he could in one go.

But his focused was almost entirely consumed by the girl in his arms, as her fingers brushed anxiously with her earrings.

Chat Noir's eyes blew wide as the meaning of her whispered words sunk in - far more of a direct a hit than any that this new threat had managed thus far.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Some of you correctly had an a-ha moment with that last chapter. :P

I've definitely inspired by a few key moments of that earworm. ;)


	3. It's No Better to Be Safe Than Sorry

The neon purple outline flashed over the Akuma's face, pen in hand as he sat, hunched over the page. His mind was loud and busy with the possibilities as he mulled over his next steps.

"Yes, Hawkmoth."

Grinning, Hawkmoth confirmed. "You've caught them both, then?"

His chosen champion nodded slightly before recalling he must answer aloud, for the full weight of their communication to be felt. "I have seen them both inside this world I've created."

Frowning, Hawkmoth hesitated for only a moment, as if uncertain whether to correct the young artist. He was the creator after all. "And our plans?"

"Once I found Chat Noir had entered the story, the wheels were set into motion..."

"Excellent, Evillustrator." His cane struck the floor with a resounding echo. "You know what to do. Bring me their Miraculous and vengeance is yours for the taking."

Hawkmoth could feel the rush of endorphins, the tug of Evillustrator's lips widening maliciously, as his pencil scribbled furiously across the page.

* * *

Marinette slapped her hand over her mouth, to muffle the noise that might give their location away. Her eyes grew anxiously wide, as her hand patted at her side...only to come up empty.

She grabbed more tightly onto Chat Noir's arm, pulling herself up closer to his ear so she could whisper. "We have a bit of a problem…"

He snorted, bouncing in a new direction as another arrow missed her ear by half an inch. "You think?"

She flinched. "Well, more than one, for sure." But one was definitely quite pressing at the moment.

She peered back over his shoulder.

One of the arrows had struck true, snagging on her purse. She was lucky enough that it hadn't hit her, especially since she was not in her suit.

But now her purse - with Tikki hiding inside it - was pinned to a wall behind them. They'd have to turn around back into the fray for it.

"Chat!" She gasped, her fingers clasping his upper arm tightly. "You need to turn back."

"Are you kidding?"

Half-panicked she snorted. "I wish I was."

He shook his head in disbelief, moving all that much faster to evade another barrage of arrows.

"Chaton, I really need you to loop back and get that bag."

He was still incredulous until he turned, coming face to face with the pained look in her eyes as she gazed back at it.

The numbers weren't all adding up. "My Lady?"

"I'm not quite in fighting shape at the moment."

His eyes widened. Half out of fear to know she was so unprotected, this close to a threat. But that rogue, more selfish part of him was ecstatic...to know he was holding her so close and without the mask. But in here, that premise would be equally terrifying.

Chat's eyes were on the move, seeking out someplace to keep her safe, his body shifting to protect her all the more from the stray arrows lying wild.

"Can they see between the panel windows?"

"Like this inside is actually a comic book?" She frowned, musing beside his ears. "So we might be able to actually stick outside of the frame itself and hide from a viewer."

He nodded before he realized that would do him no good. "Yeah. I wonder what someone outside could be reading right now."

Ladybug shuddered exaggeratedly. "That's a scary thought."

He halted in place, tugging out his baton to counter the next wave that was being fired at the pair of them.

"Considering everything," she bit her lip, peering around to the sketchy array of walls and panels. "It might not be safe, even if we could find some hidden corner. All of this smacks of Hawkmoth watching from afar. And we have no idea what he might have seen already..."

"Do we even know if he can see anything?"

"We've had enough close calls. He doesn't seem to be omniscient, and when we've had to re-charge mid-battle he's not been able to figure out who we are." Ladybug's brows clearly furrowed beneath the ersatz mask. "But there is no telling what the Akuma might see. No telling even where the Akumatized villain is or if they're watching. So, I'd rather not take any more chances. For either of our sakes."

He nodded, hefting her back into his arms so she could still peer over his shoulder. "Then we'll need to find someplace to get you out."

"Sounds like a plan, Kitty."

* * *

"Discount Dark Cupid really needs to ease up for a little bit." Chat Noir grinned to himself, breathing far more heavily than usual. Even a superhero wasn't built to be on the run for 40 minutes straight with an armful of temporarily powerless super-heroine in tow.

"Discount?" Ladybug snorted her amusement into his shoulder, gazing back for a shaky view of the villain in pursuit. "Well, since I saw the guy who was turned into Dark Cupid an hour ago, I'm pretty sure that isn't the real Dark Cupid."

Still panting through a frown, Chat neared the set of panels that the arrows hadn't already pierced. "Then who else did we fight who had arrows?"

"Maybe something for us to puzzle later...after we both get out of here?"

Chat Noir slid them both behind a panel so he could catch his breath while they both tried to get a better view of their pursuer. It might give them both a better idea of how to get away.

She peered over at him, eyes narrowed. Ladybug was fidgeting, a slow smile slipping across her lips. "There it is."

"Huh." Chat blinked, peering at their surroundings as he hunched over to catch his breath. "Didn't think we'd turned around."

"Maybe this section is circular?" She hummed, gloved fingers grazing the edge of the panel frame.

Chat Noir nodded, only half paying attention to her words. He'd only caught the view from the corner of his eye, but her bag didn't appear red as he had expected.

It was small and pink. And oddly familiar.

Not that his brain was able to make the connections at the moment. Or that it would even be safe for her if he attempted to puzzle it out. He knew better, but that didn't mean that more rogue part of his brain didn't consider it for one fleeting, reckless moment

Shaking his head, Chat inhaled sharply. He turned, extending his baton as stayed close to her, shielding Ladybug behind the relative safety of the panel. He tried to snag the broken bag with the edge of the pole.

Two attempts later, he finally had a bit of luck, tugging the broken strap across the floor back to where they both stood.

The sheer relief on her face was palpable as he snuck out past the panel.

He smiled, reaching down to grab the tiny purse and passed it over to his partner.

He'd almost forgotten about the archer that had been dogging their heels, until the arrow whirred past his ear, splintering the glass before his eyes.

Spinning on his heels, Chat Noir turned, batting the next arrow out of mid-air with his baton. He allowed himself one fleeting moment to reassure himself that Ladybug was alright.

But he was too slow on the rebound to catch the third arrow that had been knocked and released in short order. The sound of the impact split through the air.

Leaving the shattered bits of the glass pane to fall, taking half of Ladybug's mask along with it.

Her soft blue eyes - now wide with panic and staring back at him - were far too familiar.

Chat Noir's eyes widened with just as much panic to match.

But he had no time to hesitate. Chat Noir set his jaw, rushing headlong through the rest of the splintered glass to haul her away again before anyone else might see, too.

* * *

Notes:

Not quite sure how many more chapters here, but I have 1400 more words of notes. Maybe 3 chapters? Maybe more...

We'll just have to see. :D


	4. All the Things I've Got to Remember

Chloe arrived late, dumping her books onto her desk with a very audible sigh. She'd spotted the collected pile of pop quizzes on the teacher's desk - just after she'd noticed Adrien's empty seat.

Her eyes narrowing, one arched brow practically challenging Madame Mendeleiev to call her out on her late arrival. Instead, the teacher just rolled her eyes and turned back to writing out equations on the chalkboard.

Chloe's eyes kept drifting over to Adrien's chair, worry marring her otherwise perfectly sculpted brow.

Sabrina looked at her anxiously before going back to taking notes for the both of them.

She might have even been here on time this morning, if not for the fact that the wonky Ladybug special edition comic she'd gotten the night before seemed to be moving.

She had hidden the comic away until after her hair appointment was complete. After all, what was the point of getting a super exclusive comic only to let someone else read it?

Her hands folded atop her desk, hiding her own copy of the comic she had stowed in her bag.

Chloe wondered if she opened it again now, if she might see Adrien inside again. He hadn't been the only familiar face she'd seen, but he was the only one she could recall by name.

She'd read the whole thing three time over already, and yet the story didn't seem to stay the same each time.

The last time she'd read it, she could have sworn she'd spotted Adrien, but when she jumped ahead to the end, he wasn't there. And when she'd jumped back to the page she knew she had seen him on, it was like he'd disappeared entirely.

She'd texted. She'd even bugged her father to have Gabriel Agreste himself called - all to no avail.

And no answer.

Nothing else would have sent her veering off her usual course, off to the main Police Headquarters just to speak with Sabrina's father and try to have Adrien reported missing.

Only to be impolitely informed by Officer Roger that he'd have to be missing for a whole day first. He had even insisted that if he was showing up in a comic, it was probably because his face was already plastered all over Paris as it was.

Not that he'd believed her when she'd tried to show that the comic was changing by the minute. He'd just sped off after another car that had run through a stop light near the school.

Chloe sighed heavily, her eyes narrowing. It was perfectly ridiculous.

And, of course, just like she'd said, Adrien wasn't even here.

Her fingernails tapped against the soft leather of her purse, a slight smile slipping across her lips. She just had to wait for Ladybug to appear.

At least, she would believe her.

* * *

Marinette's hands had been pressed against the pane of glass until the image fractured beneath her fingers. Blinking, she drew back her hands, her gaze snapping to meet her partner's in the instant.

He'd been floored, but the need for action made him recover quickly. She could still see the shock and the fear in his eyes, though.

Fear for her sake, that only ebbed away once it was clear that their pursuer had hardly let up, shooting another arrow into the pane-like glass that had shielded her only moments before.

In a split second, Chat Noir dove through the splintered panel, wrapping himself around her shoulders to shield her from the arrows. But he missed the fact that their archer was hardly the biggest threat.

There was another that had joined in the chase. Simon Grimault, whose mesmerism had clearly only improved with time.

And if Chat Noir got hit, it would be devastating for them both.

She tugged his hand, as she couldn't wait for Chat to notice. Her broken purse strings clenched tight with her other palm.

* * *

Chat's baton was in his free hand, parrying every arrow and card that he could, near blind, as Ladybug - Marinette, that was - pulled him through turn after turn.

She was no damsel in distress, even without the mask. He knew he could trust her calls, if not the rapid speed that would be required to keep the distance they would need to to keep her safe.

Without her transformation, she was going to wear herself out. Marinette might eventually slip, or he would miss and she'd get hit with an arrow or a compulsion. And then there would be no hope for the whole of Paris.

It just made Chat Noir more desperate to get her out safe. He scooped her up again, into his arms and moved as fast as he could. If he could find one of the panels like the one she'd come through, they had some hope. She could get back outside and find someplace safe to transform.

And if he was really lucky, she might be able to bring back help.

* * *

Marinette winced, ducking under his shoulder. She shifted his baton, knocking one of Simon Says' cursed playing cards away before it could work its dark magic on either of them.

She paled, her knuckles whitening with her tightening grip on his baton. That had been close, she breathed, blowing out a steady breath and blinking before the next barrage that would inevitably follow.

That was much too close.

Chat Noir was tearing off with all possible speed, but that was making his defense sloppy. He was being reckless again, and she didn't have her powers on hand to help keep him safe, too.

She had hardly even noticed when he'd come to a jarring halt near another set of panels.

But he'd set her feet down on the ground as if he thought she was made of glass. That alone was baffling. They had been together in battles for years. He had even fought beside her without the mask before.

Why would any of it be different now?

The dark panel barely caught her eye before Chat Noir called up his cataclysm and pressed his claws to the edge.

Marinette was aghast as he burned his precious special power. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Getting you out of here." He murmured, green eyes locking with hers before he gently pulled his baton back out of her iron grip. "If there's any way for us both to get out of here, you'll find it. Just not from inside here."

"I'm not leaving here without you, Chat Noir." Marinette swore, wheeling on him with every ounce of ferocity she could muster.

But he was just as determined. "You have to. There are too many people counting on you. And I need to know that you'll be safe."

She gulped, a little proud of him in spite of herself. But she couldn't bear to leave him here - alone and tired - to fight against two Akuma.

"Chat-" she entreated.

Chat's emerald eyes were soft, lingering even as he pressed her lightly back into the darkness.

Those eyes still haunted her as she toppled from the trash can onto the classroom floor.


	5. I'll Be Gone

Throughout the test, Alya's eyes kept narrowing, gaze drifting back to the wireframe trash bin.

Staring back down at the page with a purpose, her pencil scratched noisily across the page.

So help her, she was going to pass this test with flying colors, march the finished test up onto Madame Mendeleiev's desk, victoriously retrieve her comic and finish it before the noon dismissal.

And woe-betide anyone else who got in her way.

She smirked down at the page, nearly to the last essay question, when a loud clatter interrupted her laser focus.

Marinette was sprawled out across the floor, the trash can knocked over and spilling out unceremoniously among the crumpled up paper scattered across Madame Mendeleiev's otherwise pristine classroom floor.

Alya frowned. Marinette's eyes popped open, looking a bit ill...and more than a little freaked out.

Well, more than usual for her...

Her clothes are a bit singed, her pigtails disheveled.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, snooping about in the trash again," Chloe smirked superiorly. "I don't even know why I am surprised…"

From the ground, Marinette's eyes flashed an angry blue, pulling herself onto her knees.

"Chloe." Madame Mendeleiev's hands smacked against the desk, a thread of steel sharpening her voice. "Unless you would like to finish this exam orally, I suggest you stifle your comments."

Alya grinned madly, biting back an audible guffaw.

Almost missing Marinette's bolt towards the door.

"And where do you think you are headed, Marinette?" Madame Mendeleiev wheeled towards the door. "We are in the middle of a test, in case it has escaped your notice…"

One hand on the open doorway, Marinette gave a pained, tight smile. "I need to go see the nurse, Ma'am. Urgently."

Madame Mendeleiev sighed. "Alright. Come and see me after school, then."

Alya shook her head, settling back in to wrap up the final complex chemical equation.

* * *

Marinette sprinted out the door, balled-up comic tucked safely beneath her jacket. She could only hope that Madame Mendeleiev didn't head down to the nurse's office to check her excuse. And it wasn't entirely false...slipping from the page back into the regular world left her feeling woozy.

But she didn't have time to get herself feeling better. She needed to get home - and fast. Chat Noir would be counting on her.

There were too many places to get caught here at school, especially with the mid-day dismissal only a few minutes away. Her parents would be busy in the shop...or at least wouldn't question her arriving home for lunch a little early.

She didn't dare stop, except for the streetlights. Anxiously shifting from foot to foot, she tugged the rumpled pages out, quickly risking a look.

"Oh!" Gasping, Marinette's eyes widened, watching the signs of exhaustion and panic wear on his face, as he tried - and failed - to exit another dark window. Not that he could stay still for long with the Akuma on his tail.

Slamming the pages shut and hugging them tightly to her chest, Marinette raced home with every spare ounce of strength she could muster.

If he wasn't unveiled in there before, he might very well be now. And he and his Miraculous would be at Hawkmoth's mercy.

"Hold on! I'm coming Chat Noir!"

* * *

Marinette sped up the stairs, taking them two at a time until she reached the relative privacy of her room.

She spread the pages out upon her desk, forcing her eyes to focus in on the details. To find any little thing that might help him get out of there.

The archer was still on his tail if the arrow that whirred past his ear was any sure sign of it.

Her fingernails bit into the soft wood of the desk. "C'mon, Kitty...get out of there…"

Her fingertips traced over the page as she watched Chat get hurt, getting knocked back only to barely dodge another arrow... in hazy motion…

Marinette saw his fist close on the frame, drawing her gaze.

Chat Noir only had one paw print left.

Tikki murmured sadly. "Marinette-"

"Go," Marinette answered, clutching the crumpled pages tighter between her fingers. "Grab something to eat quickly. We'll need to be ready once he comes through."

Without a word, Tikki zipped downstairs, phasing between the floorboards.

Marinette bit her lip, exhaling deeply through her nose. Chat had to come through. He had to.

She wasn't sure she could do all this without him.

Or that she would even want to...

She lifted the next page, hoping that the answer would be there.

Instead, the panel went black...

"Chaton?" She gasped, blinking at the inky darkness in disbelief. "Oh...no. No!"

Tears were welling up into her eyes. Desperately, she flipped back, hoping she had missed something important. "No, no, no…"

Instead all the pages were just as dark.

Unchecked, the tears fell as she slumped back in the chair in wide-eyed disbelief.

He couldn't be gone.

He just couldn't be…

"Marinette?" Tikki chirped, hovering at her should.

"He can't be gone, Tikki…" She choked back a sob, slamming her eyes shut to staunch the tears. "Chat just can't…"

* * *

Chat Noir leaped into the ebony darkness left by his Cataclysm. It had taken almost too long to circle back to it. But he couldn't afford to lead these monsters back to Marinette.

There was no telling where she had re-emerged on the other side of the pages. And without the screams of civilians to hail an Akuma attack, breaking away to transform and gather up the rest of the team may not have been a ready option.

He was weary, even with every ounce of borrowed strength that Plagg had given him, but even that wouldn't last him more than a few seconds.

He just had to trust that his Lady - that Marinette, he mentally corrected - would have gotten safely through to the other side. That she could get away quickly to someplace safe and quiet. In a crisis without her mask, she had a remarkably cool head.

His baton recoiled, bouncing against something hard.

Chat Noir grinned, feeling the magic of his suit slowly start to ebb as the glow of daylight cracked through the darkness...and the weight of exhaustion seep in.

As his awareness faded, he knew he couldn't have been in better hands.

* * *

Tikki was barely breaking through to soothe her gnawing sense of grief, but some rational corner of her mind remained, reminding her that even without Chat Noir, she would need to pull herself together save the whole of Paris.

She'd worked without him before. She'd even worked against him before.

But Chat had never truly been gone. There was always an Akuma facing off with her...or another timeline that she'd slipped into, with another Chat Noir at the ready.

Marinette leaned back in her chair, her tear-clouded gaze drifting up at the skylight he'd come through more times than she could count. She knew on instinct when that bit of mischief was building and he was about to drop a pun; she knew when and where his baton would strike. She's learned to sense when he was readying himself to jump in the way to block a blast the Akuma had intended for her, to cut it off at the pass.

But for all of that, she'd never really known about the boy behind the mask.

Marinette's throat felt painfully tight, as she brushed away tears only to have a fresh wave welling in her eyes. She couldn't even save him. And she couldn't even apologize to his family or his friends...or anyone else he'd left behind.

There were few things that Marinette expected as Tikki desperately cooed in her ear, trying to calm her tears.

But she definitely hadn't anticipated a lapful of exhausted catboy. Blinking, her blurry vision just distinguished his familiar lanky limbs spilling from the pages.

* * *

Author's Notes:

You have Enberlight to thank for not having me end this chapter earlier... :3


	6. I'll Be Coming For You Anyways

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Enber for beta-reading as always!

This one ended up a little long, but I didn't think anyone would mind. :3

* * *

Alya smirked gleefully as she handed in her test paper.

Madame Mendeleiev only raised one annoyed brow, as Alya bent down to rifle through the trash and retrieve her poor, abused comic to read before class was dismissed.

Her brows furrowed in sheer disbelief as she quickly realized she was coming up empty-handed.

Chloe snickered loudly, as Alya dumped out the spare contents, rifling through each on the floor.

Alya scowled. No one had touched anything since Madame Mendeliev had been spiteful enough to pitch it.

No one until…

"Marinette…" Alya whispered. The book must have disappeared...when Marinette had raced off to the Nurse's Office.

"What was that, Alya?" Madame Mendeliev glared, watching her efforts like a hawk.

"It was nothing, Madame Mendeliev."

"I thought so." She harrumphed, standing with her hands over the mess Alya'd made on the floor. "Then after you clean all that up, perhaps you might take your seat until the rest of the class finishes their tests."

Shaking her head, Alya raced to replace the trash can and get back to her seat and text Marinette.

Her BFF might have a penchant for lifting phones. But she had better have a good reason for swiping her comic.

* * *

"Oof," Marinette grunted elegantly under the unexpected impact of Chat's knees pressing onto her lap, rolling her desk chair slightly backwards.

Her relief lifted a weight from her shoulders as he slumped against her, his nose nuzzling into her neck, arms bracketing her shoulders as his clawed fingers wound behind her neck. "Chat?"

"Knew I'd find you, my Lady…" His voice rumbled sleepily, half-purred against her exposed skin.

She wasn't suited up, so it was a fresh reminder of all that he knew.

He nuzzled her neck, and she blushed like mad. "C'mon, Chat Noir."

Marinette's face was red, but it had little to do now with the very real tears that had slowed when she'd realized he was going to be okay.

Half of her wanted to be a little peeved about his taking up residence on her lap, but honestly, she was just that relieved that he'd made it back through. She hardly even minded the heavy press of knees on her lap.

Had it only been a minute ago that she'd been so sure he was gone forever?

She blinked up at his baton, one end piercing through the page and the other tent-poled against the wooden beam above her. Careful not to jostle Chat as he cuddled in closer, Marinette tapped the paw print to let it pull free of the page.

Her grip wasn't solid, and it dropped to the hardwood floor with a metallic thud. She winced at the sound...hoping her parents stayed down in the shop for now.

His ring beeped with one final hail of urgency before the glowing green light chased over his prone form.

Marinette hugged him close, staring forward to preserve his identity as best as she could before she saw something she couldn't unsee.

A bit desperately, she wheeled her way over the carpet to settle him onto the chaise. It wasn't like she couldn't lift his slim weight, even without borrowing Tikki's strength, but he was still slumped against her at such an odd angle, she wasn't sure she could pick him up...not without finding out something she was not ready to know just yet.

Once de-transformed, Chat - well, he wasn't exactly that, was he? - was barely conscious...but would definitely need to eat. She still wasn't sure what else to call him in her own mind.

The answer was there - but still much too risky, even if just to her own composure. It was much easier to keep that firm, professional distance without a clear picture to humanize the hero who stood beside her.

Well, laid beside her right now.

Dutifully, he responded to her unspoken order as guided by her hands, rolling over onto the chaise with his back out to her, cuddled up far more cat-like than any human boy had a right to be.

In the fleeting glimpse she'd gotten of his face before his transformation dropped, she'd noticed the scratches on his cheeks, the only bit that had been exposed outside the suit. Testing, her hands grazed over his jaw. It had been more instinct, but he murmured half-hissed disapproval when her fingers brushed over a sore spot.

She pulled away, as his breathing grew more even, breaths deeper and farther apart.

He'd trusted her so much - and so easily - in spite of her mask dropping that it almost scared her. Especially in what that might mean: Did he know her outside of the mask?

More importantly, did she know him?

Her mind couldn't help but try to connect the dots.

She was just as determined to avoid a mental perusal as a visual one. Once she was sure he was safely on the chaise, she spun around to avoid temptation. She'd need her first aid kit, too. But she also needed to somehow get him transformed again - quick - for her own peace of mind.

Eyes towards the ceiling, Marinette patted her hand at his shoulder. "Rest up for now, kitty. I'm sure we're going to need your help soon enough."

* * *

"Mmmhmm." Adrien hummed, as her fingers slipped from his shoulder. He was afraid to speak any more than that, even if he had the energy to do so at the moment. Marinette still didn't want to know.

In and out of the mask, he knew she would have looked back as she headed down the stairs if she really wanted to.

And somehow Marinette's rejection stung far more than it ever had when she'd rejected him as Ladybug.

And yet that barest touch had left even him burning to the very tips of his ears.

Plagg shook his head briefly before he zipped down after Marinette, surely to find as much cheese as he could swallow.

Adrien dropped his head back against the pillow. He was a mess. Had he always been so touch-starved?

He had always delightest in Ladybug's every slightest touch.

But Marinette? Every time he could recall, he'd been filled with the soft warmth of companionship. He had always thought of her as a friend - in the truest sense of the word. When she was around, he hadn't felt lonely.

Adrien tugged the lucky bracelet from his pocket, spinning the beads absently between his fingers.

He sighed. At least Plagg hadn't stayed up here to deliver his own version of a pep talk, thinking he was going to rest. It was just as likely he'd take the chance to poke fun.

He'd been right, of course. From that very first day.

Maybe he should have figured it was her before this. Maybe he should have known from the first day she'd been absolutely cool-headed, even when she was reading him the riot act for the misunderstanding. Even when she had softened once he'd extended the olive branch (and an apology.)

It was hundreds of little things, that he should have seen. Things that he should have noticed. Her creativity. Her wit. Her protectiveness.

Her compassion.

But to be fair, she hadn't noticed him either. All the magic of their miraculous - of their Kwami - kept them safe, secret, even from one another.

Raking his fingers through his hair, he grumbled, peering back over his shoulder at the still-closed attic hatch door. He could have been keeping her safe all this time. There was more he could have done.

But he was puzzled too.

Ladybug had said she had feelings for another, after all, when she'd pushed his affections away.

But he knew Marinette.

Just - apparently - not as well as he'd thought.

Adrien's fingers ghosted over his chin. He couldn't imagine just who it was that Marinette had a crush on. Maybe Luka?

With a heavy sigh, he curled his legs up into fetal position on the chaise, trying to get warm.

He really was trying to take her advice, to catnap and rest up for the battle ahead.

But it was hard, especially with their voices carrying up through the attic door she'd be oh-so-careful to close behind herself.

"He's not going to say anything, but he hasn't eaten since dinner last night." Plagg grumbled.

"Let's let him rest and find you both some food." Marinette's voice was surprisingly calm, considering what they both had just endured. "Your powers could do a lot, but Chat still needs to be able to function underneath the transformation."

"You know...I don't know why you're even bothering at this point." Plagg was blunt, never one to pull his punches. "I mean, the kid knows who you are now, which already puts you at risk if he gets influenced again."

"That's not exactly an argument for figuring him out." Marinette countered. The soft chink of silverware and countertop punctuated her point.

"After all this time, I'm sure he would rather hurt himself before he'd put you at risk." Plagg mumbled between noisy bites.

Adrien instinctively leaned closer to the door to try to catch her whispered response. What he wouldn't have given to have his transformed senses right now. Frustration was clear in her voice as she spoke up. "But I know very well that I don't want that."

Plagg's own patience had worn thin. "Then what do you want?"

Marinette huffed. "Right now? I want you to re-charge."

A high-pitched voice broke through, a calm in the growing storm. "This Akuma is still out there - somewhere. And right now, we still don't have the slightest clue how to find it."

"The kid was definitely reading a comic book when he was pulled in." Adrien snorted, as he could practically see the Gallic shrug from Plagg in his mind's eye. "Some Ladybug and Chat Noir fan nonsense he'd special ordered."

Marinette's voice was even. "That makes sense then. I'd seen a copy from a friend. It's what pulled Tikki and I both inside."

"So you should be able to get back inside...if you get your hands on another book." Plagg snorted. "Big deal. You get back in. Fight the Akuma together, and slip back outside once the little butterfly is free."

Tikki - Ladybug's Kwami, he was sure - interrupted. "We hope it is that easy, Plagg."

"Fine. We hope." Plagg grumbled. "But it gives you plenty of time to get used to the idea. Right now he has the knowledge of your name. That imbalance needs to be equalized, or everything runs the chance of spiralling out of control. You've pushed him away more times than I can count."

Adrien rolled over on his other side, gritting his teeth. Plagg was saying far too much. If she didn't want to know...they really couldn't force her. Even if it would help him feel a little better.

"Plagg." Marinette's voice grew serious but soft. She could barely be heard over the wind blowing overhead. "I promise. Even if I am not quite ready to see now - even if I just need a little time to get used to the idea - I need to know that Chat Noir is okay."

She groaned audibly, as the clatter of furniture moved against the floor below. A chair, perhaps? "It's too bad we can't get him to Master Fu, but it's just too risky. Even transformed, there's no way I could carry him across town while he's sleeping. Not without seeing his face...or anything else that might reveal who he really is. My luck hardly ever holds up on this side of the suit…"

"Speaking of, Marinette." Tikki chirped. "Your parents should be up for lunch any time now. So we'll have to head back upstairs - or somewhere else - very soon."

Adrien frowned as the wind picked up again, howling against the drafty attic windows. He peered up at the skylight. It was closed.

Tensing, he sat up on the chaise, peering over at the bars locking the other windows in place.

The only sign of the wind was the rifling of the comic book on Marinette's desk.

His sleep-slowed brain didn't pick up on the connection until Plagg phased up through the room's floorboards, cheese still in hand. "Kid?" The Kwami's ears quirked up, hackles raised. "Close the book. Now!"

Unnerved, Adrien shot to his feet, darting over to the flipping pages that seemed to have come to life all on their own.

"We don't know what might be trying to follow us through."

He'd barely registered Marinette's footsteps stomping up the stairs two at time before she had reached the book at nearly the same moment he did.

She stood dumbfounded and gaping, staring at him as her fingers lifted from the page to cover the unnerved squeak that slipped from her open mouth.

"Adrien?" She whispered.

Adrien just smiled, doubling down on his own efforts to keep the book shut.

Plagg hefted a solid wedge of cheese towards his mouth. "My powers don't really hold back when his control is compromised, so I'm not sure how stable that doorway is anyways."

Marinette paled, shaking her head to stay focused as she pressed down on the fluttering pages. "Are we in danger staying here? Should we try to move the book?"

"Safer if we can get him to destroy it." Plagg's green gaze sharpened as the book's pages lifted, fighting back against their paltry efforts to keep it closed. "I could do it, but…"

"Then the house might really not be safe." Marinette finished for him.

Plagg nodded, as he finished chewing.

Marinette kept her eyes off them both, trying to focus on keeping the book shut with every ounce of her weight and force of will.

Adrien grunted with effort. "I can do it."

Marinette turned to him slowly, the panic making her eyes all too wide. And still, she pressed through, her cool-headed crisis mode slipping into place. "You still need to rest."

Adrien's eyes narrowed, free to be just as stubborn as he ever could be behind the mask. It wasn't like he'd never been hungry and tired before. "But you need this doorway closed. And fast, so we can focus on fighting the Akuma."

Nodding silently, she relented, setting her full weight onto the book on her desk.

With a poorly contained grin, Adrien called, "Plagg! Claws out!"

He delighted in the motions of the familiar poses...and the growing awe on her face.

Quickly, he summoned up his Cataclysm, picking up the book with one wicked claw once Marinette and the tiny red Kwami hovering over her shoulder had taken a safe step away.

The comic disintegrated to ash between his claws, with his own transformation unraveling the instant the deed was done.

As Plagg spiraled up into the air, Adrien slumped wearily against the desk.

Marinette wheeled her desk chair behind him, tapping the back of his knees lightly so he'd sit down. "I'll be back."

He set his head down on the desk, watching as she raced back down the steps.

Her footsteps headed back up the stairs before he'd spared a moment to wonder if she'd need a bit longer to process it all.

He certainly did…

The phone on her desk vibrated noisily, begging for attention for a moment before it slipped back into silence. Curious, he sat up and grabbed it.

Smiling, Marinette set the plate filled with croissants, fruit, and a bit of meat and cheeses down on the desk. "Adrien, eat. Please."

He nodded, passing the phone into her hands.

And tried not to stare at the pretty blush brightening her cheeks as their fingers brushed in the process. He looked ahead biting into the croissant, hoping she wouldn't notice how warm his own cheeks must look.

But Marinette never said a thing. She was too busy with her phone...fingers flying over the keypad.

"We've got a problem, kitty." She murmured, not looking up as she sent off a message with an air of finality.

Adrien grinned at the nickname. "When do we not?"

Marinette smirked, "Well, this trouble also has a key. So I'm going to need to head her off before she can get here."

Adrien blinked. "Alya?"

"Alya." Marinette nodded.

"Think you can manage to distract her without me?" His grin was wide, energy coming slowly back as much from the food as the familiar parry of banter with his partner.

Marinette snorted. "Well, she is on the warpath. And we did just destroy her comic book."

Adrien grimaced. "Sorry about that."

Shaking her head, Marinette re-assured him. "We didn't exactly have a choice."

There was a familiar glimmer in her eyes. One Adrien had recognized immediately. "But you have a plan?"

"Of course!" Marinette beamed. "Tikki? Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are, Marinette."

Hours upon hours of Magical Girl transformations in anime had prepared him for this moment, and yet Adrien found himself woefully unprepared to see the slow but subtle shifts that had hidden her from him for so long. To see those blue eyes turned upon him with a mix of both the girls he'd thought he knew so well. Her emotions warred before him, confident candor and sweet shyness melting into one of softest looks he'd ever seen on his Lady.

If he hadn't already been knocked off his feet, he was sure he would have been.

Especially as her fingers dropped onto his shoulder, lingering there. "Rest up. I'll be back soon with backup."


	7. Just to Play My Worries Away

At the crosswalk, Alya stared down at her phone, irritated at her chain of answered messages. At least she was making good time getting over to Marinette's. Hopefully, she could just grab her comic with just enough time left to run home, read while she ate lunch, and sprint back to class.

As Adrien was not answering his texts either, Nino had headed off on his own to try to track him down.

He knew that he'd have to face off against Gabriel's aloof assistant to find out anything. But that was a battle he was going to have to handle solo. Of course, she knew he could handle a battle like that after they'd fought side by side.

Her phone buzzed in her hands.

Her thumb slid over the notification to see that Nino sent her another status update back.

Alya shook her head. Frankly, it was pretty baffling that Marinette was still not responding.

It wasn't like Marinette didn't know how much she'd been waiting to read it. She'd spent hours gushing to her over text - and when she could attend in person - for days on end. Marinette knew all about her plan to review the issue in depth on the blog. Alya's grip tightened around her phone as the crowd waiting to cross grew.

She'd stashed her key to Marinette's inside her locker with her gym clothes when she arrived at school this morning. It was all but forgotten in her rush to the other end of school to the nurse's office to find Marinette.

Of course, Marinette hadn't been there.

Alya's toe tapped angrily, waiting for the light to finally change.

Sure Marinette had looked a little worse for the wear. And, she wasn't exactly sure when she had snuck back in only to stumble over the trash can.

Only that really didn't explain why she hadn't actually been in the nurse's office like she'd claimed.

Alya sighed as the light changed, following the group en masse across the last street.

She could already see the building...and the crowd queuing up around the side of the building. The lunchtime rush meant she wouldn't have time to spare if Sabine was busy handing orders.

Alya's brows furrowed, ducking back into the alleyway beside the building, the minutes ticking away.

If only she could get Marinette to answer and open up the door.

Frowning, she looked back down at her phone, fingers flying over the keyboard.

She was so engrossed, she didn't even notice Ladybug until she'd dropped at her side.

"Hello."

"Ladybug!" Alya's eyes widened, purely out of shock. "Sorry! I didn't see you there. I was trying to reach-"

"Marinette?" Ladybug's brows arched high beneath her mask.

Alya nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line.

Ladybug smiled. "She's doing alright. I just came from her balcony. But she is a little...preoccupied with a favor I've asked of her."

"Oh!" Alya blinked. That would explain why Marinette might have missed her messages.

Ladybug smirked. "But this is convenient timing. I've got a favor to ask of you, too."

"For the Ladyblog?"

"Well," Ladybug's lips pursed. "It will probably draw on your expertise a little. But maybe it would be better if I explained along the way."

Alya nodded, blushing slightly when Ladybug tugged her up into her arms. It wasn't every day that your favorite superhero scooped you up as if you didn't weigh a thing. Especially when that hero was even smaller than you were up close.

Ladybug chuckled. "Sorry for the manhandling, but we're in a bit of a rush."

"No-not a problem, Ladybug." Alya bit out, shivering a little as the chilly wind rushed through her hair.

Her blue eyes grew serious, as she focused on swinging to her destination. "It seems like Marinette managed to stumble onto an Akuma...by somehow slipping into a comic book."

"An Akuma? I haven't seen anything from my notifications." Alya tilted her head. "Was it Nathaniel's comic book?"

Ladybug nodded. "Not sure how that happened or why. But somehow Chat Noir was trapped in there, too, and got pretty worn out just trying to get them both back outside."

"Huh…" Alya blanched. Well, it seems like Marinette had a far harder test today than she had.

"She managed to catch me, using Chat Noir's baton. I guess she has you to thank for that…"

Alya preened. "Well, she was reading my copy..."

"Anyways, the favor she is doing me is watching over Chat Noir while he tries to rest. She's also fixing some lunch for him to recharge his Kwami.

"She did look a little worse for the wear." Alya nodded. "And you wouldn't find anyone more likely to go the extra mile to help keep any superhero's identity a secret."

Ladybug smiled ruefully, arching a brow high. "We did have a good chat on the necessity of keeping Chat's identity secret..." She shook her head. "Anyways...Marinette said it was like a maze inside. With a bunch of Akuma."

Alya nodded.

"Now, I don't really know what the comic was like...or what it might have been in the beginning. So, for the moment, I need your help with a little research before we try to leap into battle. People must be disappearing into the comics without anyone noticing."

Snaking an arm down into her pocket to fish out her phone, Alya set straight to work as Ladybug navigated the rooftops. "Oh, they're noticing now. The comic was only just shipped out last night; it hasn't even been 24 hours yet. Some are not sure they can formally file a missing person's report. But the police aren't announcing the complaints widely just yet."

"Hmm…" Ladybug's eyes narrowed. "I think we need to figure out who all got a copy of the comics. Is that something we could get?"

"Whatever you need," Alya promised. "It's yours."

Ladybug winced into a half smile. "Yeah. About that…"

* * *

Alya's brows rose as she was carefully sent onto the roof of the Grand Paris.

She peered back over her shoulder at Ladybug, who simply shrugged.

"I'm afraid I only know the location of one of the other comic books right now."

Ladybug paled as Alya's eyes widened in realization of just what that implied.

"I'm afraid something tried to follow Chat Noir out. So he had no choice but to shut that portal permanently." Ladybug soothed. "But I'm sure once we handle the Akuma your comic book will reappear…"

Alya narrowed her eyes, as her arms crossed over her chest. "You kept me away from Chat Noir because of that, didn't you."

"Well," Ladybug hedged, wincing slightly. "Let's just say that factored into my decision there..."

Alya sighed, following her down the steps of the Grand Paris.

Alya groaned. "Of course. It just had to be Chloe, didn't it..."

Ladybug sighed. "Well, at least if I ask, Chloe should be pretty cooperative. I need you two to work out how many people might be inside to be fought. While you do that, I need to go and get the other Miraculous so we can all head in together with a better plan, once Chat Noir is rested enough. "

"So I find the list of who all got the comic books." Alya murmured. "Do we need to track down any of the other comic books?"

Ladybug frowned. "I hope not. But we may need to track down Nathaniel and Marc's addresses just in case."

Alya nodded, lagging behind her on the stairs as she made notes in her phone.

* * *

Ladybug only had hesitated a moment, her eyes focused and measuring out her plan before she raised a fist to knock on Chloe's door.

"Ladybug!" Chloe whispered, beaming before turning her gaze with unveiled disdain. "And...Alya…"

"Hello to you too, Chloe." Alya muttered sarcastically.

Ladybug got straight to the point. "We're here about the comic book."

"You're not taking mine, are you?" Chloe pouted. "Daddy always makes sure I don't have to wait for whatever it is I want."

"I thought you didn't like it." Alya countered. "Wasn't that what your whole social media post shut down was about?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I read the whole thing."

"Good" Ladybug smiled. "Then what I need to you to do is to talk with Alya. We need to understand everything we can about the story so that I can gather up the others. Then we all need to be able to get inside the comic to fight the Akuma."

Alya slumped down into the chair at Chloe's desk, pulling out her phone and setting straight to work.

Ladybug grinned over at Alya. "Now, Chloe. Can I count on you to give Alya everything she needs? Whatever questions, whatever else?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I suppose…"

"That'll do, then." Appeased enough, Ladybug stalked over to the window, opening up the balcony door. "I'll be back with the others as soon as I can, then."

* * *

Ladybug flew over the rooftops with desperate speed. She couldn't slow down.

Not just because slowing down meant her brain would latch onto the one thing she was supposed to be putting out of her mind for the moment. There was too much riding on this, and a mission on the line.

She bit her lip, as she nearly missed her turn towards Master Fu's.

She dropped into a safe alleyway near her mentor's house and de-transformed. Marinette stared mournfully at Tikki. "I don't know if I can focus…"

Tikki frowned. "You have to, Marinette. Trust Chat to rest and do his job. And trust yourself to do yours for now."

Her shoulders fell as she scrubbed her hands over her face.

"Think of it this way: Once you save the day, the biggest problem you'll have to tackle is figuring out for yourself just how much more you like Chat Noir."

"Tikki!" Marinette hissed, a fierce blush darkening her cheeks.

Chuckling, Tikki just nudged her forward.

* * *

If Master Fu was surprised to see them, he didn't say a word. "Wayzz said that something felt off, but the news was quiet."

Marinette nodded, following him as he moved to open the Miraculous box.

"Think very carefully on who you will need to support you today, Marinette."

Marinette paced, tapping a finger over her lip. "Right now, we have to assume each comic is a portal inside this Akuma's realm. And that anyone dragged inside might have become Akumatized..."

"You think Mayura is in play?" Wayzz chimed in.

"It certainly sounds possible…" Master Fu stroked his beard. "But how did you find about this other space, Marinette?"

Marinette halted, nearly tripping over her own feet. "I found out the hard way."

Master Fu and Wayzz merely blinked at her cryptic response.

Tikki saved them all the trouble. "Marinette was pulled into the comic...and found Chat Noir on the other side."

"Ah…" Master Fu breathed. "Then Chat Noir brought you both out…"

Marinette blew out a steadying breath. "But not before we both got caught in a melee in the middle of a maze of comic book panels. And I wasn't transformed at the time…"

Wayzz beamed. "Then your identities are still safe. That's a relief-"

Marinette winced. "Not...exactly."

Master Fu gaped at them.

"Not for lack of trying, Master," Tikki assured. "But this Akuma's realm tried to use Chat Noir's cataclysm to wrest itself back into this world. Chat Noir had to transform again to obliterate the portal."

"And the world made me appear to him as Ladybug." Marinette murmured, her cheeks flushing as she peered up at the ceiling. "Honestly, I have to wonder if something about the whole thing has some aspect of wish fulfillment. When I was reading the book and it pulled me through, Chat Noir was calling for me as Ladybug. And he still saw me as Ladybug even when I was pulled through un-transformed..."

"Let's handle one threat at a time, then." Master Fu started pacing himself. "Of course you will need aid to navigate this realm...and to take down as many Akuma as might be hiding there before the threat is nullified."

Nodding, Marinette bit her lip as she peered down into the box, weighing her options. "I have a friend doing a bit of homework to find out just how many comics might be out there. There were definitely Akuma I didn't recognize. And we don't exactly know who might have been pulled through...or what has caused them to be Akumatized themselves."

* * *

To his credit, Adrien had been trying to rest.

He'd watched Ladybug's - well, Marinette's - sweet smile, before she slipped up through the hatch with practiced ease.

Dutifully, he'd eaten about as much as his stomach would allow. Far more carbs than he was used to, for sure.

He staggered, half tripping onto the chaise. Kind as always, she'd set a blanket there before she'd left...and he hadn't even noticed.

Marinette had been startled for sure once she recognized him. But Ladybug prided herself on her observation. The fact that they both had missed so much had to smart.

He knew he was a little too knocked off his own feet - figuratively and literally - at finding such a good friend hiding under the mask. He'd been smitten with Ladybug from day one.

And he'd known Marinette was amazing.

He just hadn't realized just how much…

Exhausted as he was, he couldn't sit still. His eyes were closed...but his mind was out racing the rooftops beside her.

Yet she really needed him to stay here and sleep right now...

Adrien groaned softly. He was definitely a mess.

"You're right about that."

Blinking, Adrien lifted his head to peer over at his Kwami. He hadn't realized he'd voiced the words aloud.

"You were so smitten, you didn't even realize you missed out on a prime punning opportunity."

"Huh?"

Plagg grinned mischievously. "Then again, maybe we both spent too much energy sealing up that plot hole."

Adrien snorted, poorly stifling the growing guffaw. He might be too tired to fend off the growing wave of fatigue, but it couldn't keep his humor suppressed.

"Rest, kid." Plagg noisily urged between bites. "You know she'll need you soon enough. And I need you functioning so you can handle my awesome powers."

Adrien grinned, slipping his hands over his eyes. "Thanks, Plagg."

He breathed deeply, even as he couldn't shake the strangest sense that he had forgotten something.

* * *

Ladybug owed her big time for this.

Like crazy exclusive for the Ladyblog big time.

"And he could have put in real heroes." Chloe announced. "I mean. It isn't really like there is a shortage of us in the city now, is there?"

Chloe's butler had been pressed into service, kindly printing out a long list of e-mail addresses as Alya had cross-referenced them against her forum sign up rolls. At least he had also brought a little bit of food.

Alya was trying to focus, looking at the two printed lists, side by side, and writing out the social media ID on a third when she spotted a match.

There were lots of familiar names there. But that was hardly a surprise. Any of the more vocal fans would love to get their hands on any potential ship material.

On a hunch, Alya pulled up a handle or two on Twitter to glance through their recent activity.

"I've course, I'm way better than those other two."

Alya grit her teeth, trying to hold her own focus.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "But Mightillustrator? I mean, come on. His little pet OC project is contrived at best. Anyone reading from this mass distro was looking for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Not just Ladybug and his nonsense self-insert…"

Alya pressed her forehead against the desk, tempted to smack her forehead against the polished cherry surface. "Hey, kettle…"

"What?"

Alya sighed. "It pains me to say it...but you're not entirely wrong. You just didn't have to say it so loud...and on social media...where it clearly made him a laughing stock.

Chloe snorted in distaste. "If I didn't, someone else would."

Alya shook her head. Chloe was probably right. She just didn't need to hear that aloud...when it would only feed her ego.

"Stuff that's passed around in class? No big deal. His art is - actually okay for all that that matters...it just wasn't good enough to send out to Paris as a whole when they'd want Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Alya frowned. "Was Mightillustrator in it that much?"

Chloe scoffed. "Chat Noir was basically on a whole other mission."

Her pencil stopped scratching across the page at that. "Wait. You were able to read the whole book?"

Nodding, Chloe thumbed through the pages. "Last night, sure."

"Huh…" Alya murmured, tapping her pencil against her lips thoughtfully as she watched Chloe browse through the pages. Maybe Chloe's copy didn't work the same way…that her own apparently had?

"Of course it was only after I kept getting annoying responses to my post, that I decided to re-read this morning."

Wait." Alya sat up straight. "You were able to read it. And you didn't get pulled in."

"Nope." Chloe smirked before her face fell. "Of course, then I spotted Adrien in the comic. And I knew he wasn't in there last night."

Alya frowned, penciling Adrien's name on her list. "I didn't have him on my list yet…"

"Why do you think I was late today? I was trying to get Daddy to check in on him…" Chloe grumbled. "Of course, Adrien's Father's assistant was totally not helpful…"

And Nathaniel was out of school today, too. Fingernails tapping against the desk, Alya spun in her desk chair. "Did the replies to your post ever slow down?"

Chloe shrugged, dropping the comic back onto the desk and leaning over to pull up the thread on her computer screen. "I dunno. Maybe late into the evening?"

Alya squinted at the screen, peering through the responses.

Marc had slapped Chloe back pretty well...and there were a few other replies with a lot of likes.

But even Marc and the others hadn't done anything more since around bedtime the night before. Alya frowned. She knew not everyone jumps online before school or work.

But...radio silence?

Now that was weird.

Shaking her head, Alya opened the comic on the desk, scouring the pages for any hint of a person lingering about.

But nothing was there.

Nothing but a half-muffled scream.

Nothing but a sudden wave of nausea.

She gagged, palms pressed to the floor. Wheezing slightly, she was so focused on trying to settle her stomach that she'd barely noticed her glasses slipping off her nose.

When she could finally look up, Alya could only see a sea of white. She sat back on her heels, pushing her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose.

"Oops."


	8. Chapter 8

"This is ridiculous!" Chloe howled, blue eyes wide as she blanched at the page. "Utterly, utterly ridiculous."

Her book worked, just like all the others had. Except…

Except, that it shouldn't have. It hadn't pulled her in.

It never even tried.

Chloe backpedaled, falling into her own now-empty desk chair, staring blankly at the cover of the comic book.

Earlier, she had just opened it… without the slightest hint of anything amiss - outside of spotting Adrien inside.

But when Alya had tried, the pages fluttered to life beneath her fingers… with hardly any notice before she was swallowed into an inky vortex.

Chloe pouted, pressing her forehead against the desk, before scowling up at the book.

Her well-manicured fingers ghosted over the corner of the first page. Maybe if she opened it now, the book might pull her in, too...

Shaking her head, Chloe leaned back against the chair.

She shouldn't. Ladybug needed her to wait - it's what she'd asked. Plus, someone needed to still be here to pass on what she and Alya had figured out.

Only… now she needed Ladybug to get back soon.

Chloe reached for her phone, grabbing it and scouring through her own contacts… only to remember belatedly that she had no way to reach out to the heroine - not without her own powers in place.

And not after Chat Noir had made fun of her Bee Signal.

She scoffed, as the comic book - and a good half of the stack of the papers Alya had been poring over - dropped open on the floor.

Alya was there, stewing and irritated, on the pages of the now open book, her thoughts written clearly out onto the page. She was just as mad as Chloe… and actually mad at herself. Ladybug was counting on her. And now she needed a rescue herself.

Chloe frowned, closing the book and tucking it into the desk drawer for now just to be safe. Alya wasn't the only one Ladybug had been counting on.

Blinking, she looked around, even dropping onto her knees beneath the desk. At least she could try to finish up the research Alya had been doing.

With a scowl, Chloe brushed off the dust now marring the knees of her white pants. "Ugh! Where did Alya's phone even go?"

* * *

Nino sighed, slipping his headphones back into place as he rounded the corner, walking away from Adrien's house.

Even though he'd had hopes of reaching Adrien, he was- of course- unsuccessful. Even their assistant wasn't on hand…

And of course, Adrien's driver wouldn't communicate in anything but grunts, which wasn't exactly helpful when trying to get answers.

It really wasn't like Adrien to go suddenly silent. Even when he was sick, he'd still at least send a text message.

"Hey, Nino." Ladybug sped overhead, shouting back to him as she ducked down near a quiet side street. "If you have a moment I could use a little help."

He knew better than to question. She might appreciate his occasional help as a civilian, but she couldn't exactly shout out loud that he was one of her superpowered friends.

Ladybug's smile brightened as he jogged into the side street with her.

"I'm guessing the reason I found you near the Agreste manor is that you are looking for your friend, right?"

Gaping, Nino couldn't do much more than nod, shaking his head as he forced his jaw back into place. "Yeah."

Ladybug smiled softly, her gaze growing a little far off. "You're a good friend to him."

"But I couldn't get any answers."

"Honestly? I can't say I am all that surprised." Ladybug crossed her arms, peering around for any other eyes - whether real or electronic. "Luckily, I do know where Adrien is. He's safe for now, but there is an Akuma out, even if the news is quiet at the moment." Ladybug smiled as Nino exhaled slowly. "Chat Noir managed to get him out before the doorway closed. But it really took a lot out of him, so Chat's resting up right now somewhere safe."

Re-adjusting the bag on his back, Nino straightened. "So what do you need me to do?"

"I've sent Alya over to Chloe's suite to have them both put their heads together." Ladybug placed two boxes onto his opened palm. "I will probably need you to go and help and give Chloe her Miraculous. And mediate between them, if you have to."

"And Alya's?"

Ladybug's lips curved. "I'll bring that in a little bit, once I can give it to Alya without anyone else seeing. I have another little errand to run first."

Nino grinned down at the boxes, then took both and tucked both safely into his bag. He'd definitely have to stop home first, but it was a real relief to know that he could wield these powers to keep everyone safe. "No offense, but why send Alya to Chloe's?"

"This Akuma is striking through the latest comic book that Nathaniel created." Ladybug arched a brow. "Chloe definitely has a copy… and made her thoughts on the comic known."

Nino made no effort to mask his eye roll.

"And with Alya's Ladyblog membership records and Chloe's respondents, it might be possible to figure out who else has a comic."

Nodding, Nino tugged his cap. "And once we have that?"

She smirked. "Then we take the fight to the Akuma. I just need to have a better idea of where it might try to run."

* * *

Ladybug bit her lip as she watched Nino sprint towards his house. All that was left now was to rescue the sleeping Cat Boy she'd been hiding away in her room.

She had to fight the temptation to stall for a bit, as she was still a little anxious about how best to deal with Chat Noir. But she could practically hear Tikki chiding her through the suit.

She'd dealt with far scarier threats on a near-daily basis… but somehow this felt the most terrifying because there was still so much that could go wrong. Now that they knew, it only heightened the danger of exposure as they braced for the fight that was to come.

* * *

Ladybug slipped back into her skylight, dropping down onto her bed and sliding down the stairs to the floor with practiced ease. It was the only failsafe way she'd figured out to sneak in without alerting her parents when Akuma attacked during daylight hours.

Adrien's hair was a messy halo of burnished gold, as he lay curled up like an overly large kitten in the chaise.

The scene only helped to burn an image into her mind, melding Adrien's sweetness with her partner's occasionally absurd humor, into one far-too-fascinating boy.

She bit at her lip unconsciously. Were it not for the Akuma - and the people still trapped in the comic book - she'd be purrfectly content to curl up next to him lazily all afternoon. She wasn't entirely used to an endurance run outside of her suit, so she could deal with a bit of rest too, after all.

Smiling softly, she tried to ruffle his hair back into place, until it was clear that her own gloves made that practically impossible. It grated a little, but Tikki had been right to insist upon the masks. If she was struggling to focus now, she would have been a hopeless mess immediately after Adrien had given her his umbrella. He really was just unfairly cute. Ladybug sighed. But if they had known sooner- she mused as she set her hand down on Adrien's shoulder- Chat Noir might have been a little more focused instead.

Plagg snorted, slipping one emerald eye open to peer at her from his perch atop the chaise. "Not likely."

"Hmm?" Ladybug blinked, her faster-than-normal reflexes flinching the stray hand away. "Did I say that out loud?

The black Kwami merely grinned. "Don't worry, Ladybug. The kid took a while to fall asleep, but he hardly wakes up until the alarm blares in his ear. Of course, my silence can be easily bought… for a price."

Ladybug arched a brow, absently smoothing a bit more of Adrien's hair back into place. "Cheese, I assume."

"A cheese danish or two wouldn't go amiss whenever we visit, sure."

Ladybug just chuckled, patting him gently above his ears. "I guess I'll see what I can do."

"Anyways, the kid wouldn't have been any more controlled than you are." Plagg cackled softly. "I know the whole world has bought into his father's image. But my powers have given him all the freedom he's ever secretly wished for. Including the freedom to act as ridiculous - and as selfish - as he wished outside the walls of his own bedroom."

"Don't think for a moment that he doesn't have his moments of panic and anxiousness, too. His father has just made him learn to be better about hiding it away."

Ladybug furrowed her brow, settling in beside Adrien on the chaise. She'd seen for herself how Chat Noir could be sometimes. Even now, he was drifting closer to her warmth while still sound asleep. "Wait…Too?"

"Do you know how boring it gets just sitting in a school bag all day?" Plagg grinned, eyes closing as he stole another few moment's rest. "But I do keep all the secrets… especially when fed properly."

"Later," Ladybug promised. "Once everything else settles down today."

She shook her head, steadying herself just enough to press her hand back down and gently rocked Adrien's shoulder. They wouldn't have long until Alya had come up with a list and the team could mount an offensive to set both the real and fictional world back to rights.

And that couldn't happen if Alya and Chloe killed one another before Adrien even woke up.

"Come on, Kitty. We have to go." Ladybug cupped his cheek, turning his head slightly up towards hers.

* * *

Adrien winced, as his eyes were forced up towards the light.

He had been having a dream - a wonderful dream. One that his subconscious was desperate to cling to as awareness tried to brute force its way in.

He knew who she was. He knew his Lady.

Sighing, Adrien gave in to wakefulness. It wasn't exactly like he hadn't gotten used to disappointment.

What he hadn't expected, though, was to see Ladybug's shocked blue eyes gazing back at him… or to feel the warmth radiating through her suit as she sat down beside him.

Blushing, he looked around, blinking as he realized he hadn't fallen asleep in his own room. The cozy pink quarters made that clear enough.

"You alright, Chaton?"

As she cupped his cheek tilting his eyes back towards her, awareness hit him anew with a vengeance.

Plagg sniggered. "What did I tell you?"

Ladybug just smirked, her own cheeks darkening slightly as she stood up.

Adrien frowned as she pulled away, trying to reassemble his currently fuzzy recollection of the situation in his sleep-addled mind.

He watched her carefully, as she slowly gathered the cookies and cheese she'd been keeping in reserve. Even after she had turned, he could still see the slightest hint of a blush.

Anxious, Adrien called out for his transformation, noting with approval how her own eyes now drifted his way.

"Ladybug…" Chat almost whined, as she handed him a block of cheese and a pair of cookies to stash in his pocket. "What did Plagg say to you?"

Her mysterious smile only made him worry more.

"Marinette…"

"Really, Kitty. It's nothing bad, I promise."

She still didn't meet his eyes, but he could spot the moment that her mind had turned serious, snapping back into planning mode.

Satisfied as he could be for the moment, he crossed his arms over his chest to watch his Lady at work. "So what did I miss?"

"I had Alya tracking down all the comic books she could find." Ladybug peered down towards the traces of ash still lingering on her desktop. "There's no telling if we might need another doorway in - or out. Or if we might have to chase the Akuma through one."

"And Alya could get that information?" Chat tilted his head. "I mean, she's good of course. But I didn't think she could hack…"

"Chaton," Ladybug smirked, soft blue gaze slipping back over her shoulder. "She wouldn't need to. Nathaniel's comic had a distinctive audience… one that would definitely overlap with the Ladyblog's members list. I have her working with Chloe to cross-reference it with those who'd responded to Chloe's lackluster review on social media."

A grin split across his face as Chat closed the distance between them, leaning beside her against her desk. "Clever. You're trying to figure out who all might have read the comic."

She beamed. "Not just that. With the world we both were pulled into, it's fair to assume that Nathaniel has been Akumatized again."

"Well," he murmured, his grin growing unrepentant. "It isn't exactly black and white."

"Chaton..." Ladybug groaned, rolling her eyes at his usual nonsense. "If Chloe's own post wasn't the cause, another similar source of criticism might have done the job."

"So if we can tell who definitely read and leaped to Nathaniel's defense...only to go quiet last night…" Chat Noir murmured.

"... then we should be able to puzzle out just how many we're up against once we bring the team inside the comic." Ladybug finished, a proud smile curving her lips.

"Sounds like a plan, My Lady."

"Sure, but.. here's the issue..." Ladybug grumbled, starting to pace, the floorboards softly creaking beneath her feet. " It was one thing when Nathaniel could draw an item to be used against us…"

"Or erase it," Chat added.

"Right." She puzzled, halting in front of him. "But this time, he seems to have control of everything. There's really no telling what the Akuma is hiding in… or how far in he might be. It was hard enough for us to find a way out that first time…"

He beamed at her, extending out his fist in their usual post-battle ritual. "But we did do it. Together."

A moment of right-ness enveloped the two… their faces gradually pinked while their gazes were connected.

As suddenly as it started, a buzzing noise broke them from their stupor.

"How soon can you get there?" Carapace's voice was harsh and tense when his face popped up on her yoyo screen. "We have a situation."

* * *

The situation had been hostile long before Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived. Carapace and Queen Bee were scowling at one another.

Ladybug quickly took stock of the situation. It was all too clear that Carapace was furious. He was freaked out about Alya's obvious absence - but since he was transformed, he was just sensible enough to keep a lid on it for now.

Sighing, Ladybug slipped her yo-yo back into place. Chat Noir would know - maybe even should know- the rest of the team soon, just to help smooth out the dynamics. But that would be for another time… when a rescue mission wasn't the first order of business.

"It's not my fault." Queen Bee was uncharacteristically anxious. "I didn't know."

Carapace straightened his shoulders, filled with righteous indignation. "Except that you've caused most of the Akuma in this city! More than anyone else."

"But I didn't send her falling into the comic. I didn't even know it was possible. I've read through the thing several times... Enough to make me think I have a faulty version."

"Hold up, Carapace." Ladybug murmured, her gaze subtly slipped over to meet Chat's. "I understand your concerns. I promise that I do. But we aren't going to be able to help get Alya back safely unless we know what to expect when we get in there to rescue her. And Chloe just said she's the only one who's been able to read it without being pulled through."

Ladybug pieced it together. "Alya wouldn't have realized that she needed to wait. She must have thought Chloe's copy was faulty, too."

"Queen Bee, any chance you could find Alya in the book. If you pull up to the right page, we'll at least have a chance of finding her fast?"

Carapace steamed ahead, peering anxiously over Queen Bee's shoulder.

But, he hovered a little too close as Queen Bee scoured the book for a hint of Alya on the pages.

Queen Bee paled, watching wide-eyed as Carapace disappeared when his gloved fingertips brushed the edge of a page.

Ladybug and Chat looked at each other - still unsure that they were ready for this, but they clearly had no more time to waste. There were unasked questions between them… Would there be a rift to spoil their dynamic with the knowledge of who has been behind their partner's mask all along? Was knowing going to put one of both of them at risk - even just the risk of slipping up?

"Chloe."

Queen Bee snapped to attention.

"This isn't your fault. At least, not all of it." Ladybug's hand reached up to her shoulder in comfort. "Alya knew that Marinette had been pulled through. She probably should have been more careful. Neither of you really knew what to expect."

"But right now, we really need you, Queen Bee." Chat Noir echoed. "We need your head in the game. More than ever."

Ladybug beamed back at him. "And if you're serious about helping, the important thing is what you are going to do to help fix that."

"You ready?"

Queen Bee nodded. Only the slightest hint of a anxiousness in her eyes betrayed her usual unshakeable confidence. "Let's fly."

* * *

"Stupid comic!"

Chat Noir and Ladybug went through so easily.

Queen Bee chafed the pages between her fingers. But try as she might, she couldn't follow.

But she was stubborn enough to keep trying anyway.

"Aha!" After minutes of leafing through and scouring the pages, she'd finally found the wavy, pencil-traced outline of Alya's hair.

Queen Bee shouted aloud, as it quickly became clear from the story that Chat Noir sent them a bit further away. "She's right there! You're going the wrong way!"

She was hoping they would be able to hear her. But if they could, there was no acknowledgment. Not that she could read what they were saying anyway; the dialogue bubbles were all blurry and garbled.

She grumbled, flipping the page. Whoever it was that had locked her out was definitely going to get an earful.

Queen Bee inhaled sharply when she'd glanced down at the new page. Alya definitely had been wearing her boring, old plaid button down when she'd been compiling her list.

She specifically remembered commenting on it earlier.

But now? Alya was in black from head to toe, her cell phone raised in one hand- Ladybug charm dangling as she peered back up off the page.

Queen Bee gaped as she recognized a familiar dark mask with piercing magenta irises in stark contrast from the rest of the black and white page.


End file.
